Karnataka is a State which is known for its bio-diversity. Forest land, and reserved forests are examples for these. Nagarahole, Anshi and Bandipur are the main reserve forests. Among these,Bandipur Reserve Forest expands to neighbouring state Tamil Nadu too. And our counterpart calls Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
Bandipur National Park is located in Karnataka’s Western Ghats along the Mysore-Ooty Highway. It is a significant part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Mysuru Wodeyers used to use Bandipur National Park as a hunting reserve. Bandipur is one of the most prominent national parks in the country. It was established in the year 1974 as a Forest Tiger Reserve under the Project Tiger. It is regarded as one of India’s best-managed parks.
The Bandipur National Park is well-known for its elephant and tiger sightings. The bonner macaque, dhole, civet, jungle cat, Indian palm, giant flying squirrel, striped hyena, rusty-spotted cat, Nilgiritahr, leopard, Hanuman langur, cat leopard, four-horned antelope, Indian hare red, and others are among the top mammals to see here. Birdwatching is a popular pastime in this area. Peafowl, junglefowl, drongos, red-headed vultures, flowerpeckers, Indian rollers, creasted serpent eagles, bee-eaters, hawk eagles, kingfishers, ospreys, and other birds can be found in this park. The park is home to over 200 different bird species. Bird breeding season begins just before the monsoon season. The Indian rock python, Indian pond terrapin, flying lizard, mugger, monitor lizard, rat snake, and other reptiles can all also be found here. The common rose, common jay, lime butterfly, Malabar raven, crimson rose, blue Mormon, and other butterflies to look for. The park is thus home to a variety of butterfly species. A wide variety of beetle species can also be found here. There are also many new species of butterflies and beetles that have yet to be identified. Further, there are also turtles, crocodiles, and frogs to be found here.
Once here the visitors can also visit Mysuru, Ooty, and Gopalswami Hill. And whatmore, Bandipur can be visited throughout the year.
